Lawn care vehicle with rear wheel axle assembly

ABSTRACT

A riding lawn care vehicle may include a frame, a steering assembly, and an axle mount. The axle mount may include a first sleeve and a second sleeve disposed at opposite ends of the axle mount. The first and second sleeves may receive top portions of a first axle rod and a second axle rod. The first axle rod and the second axle rod each include a top portion and a bottom portion bent with respect to the top portion. The bottom portion may be received by the rear wheels. The first and second sleeves may be disposed in a fixed position relative to the axle mount and an orientation of the first and second sleeves may be provided such that the bottom portion of each of the first and second axle rods is substantially parallel to a driving surface in response to the steering wheel being oriented in a neutral position.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Example embodiments generally relate to lawn care vehicles and, moreparticularly, relate to steering assembly for vehicles configured forperforming lawn maintenance.

BACKGROUND

Lawn care tasks are commonly performed using various tools and/ormachines that are configured for the performance of correspondingspecific tasks. Certain tasks, like grass cutting, are typicallyperformed by lawn mowers. Lawn mowers themselves may have many differentconfigurations to support the needs and budgets of consumers.Walk-behind lawn mowers are typically compact, have comparatively smallengines (e.g., less than 200 cubic centimeters (cc)) and are relativelyinexpensive. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, riding lawnmowers, such as lawn tractors, can be quite large and sometimes haveengines exceeding 400 cc. Riding lawn mowers can sometimes also beconfigured with various functional accessories (e.g., trailers, tillersand/or the like) in addition to grass cutting components. Riding lawnmowers provide the convenience of a riding vehicle as well as atypically larger cutting deck as compared to a walk-behind model.

By their very nature, riding lawn mowers include steering assembliesthat are used to direct the movement of the riding lawn mowers. Thesteering assemblies often take the familiar form of a steering wheel.However, handlebar assemblies have also been used in some cases. Morerecently, some zero turn mowers have employed separate steering leversor even a joystick to provide steering functionality. There are clearlya number of steering assembly options from which to choose when anoperator considers purchasing a riding lawn mower based on performancecriteria, budget restrictions, or personal preference. However, eachdifferent type of steering assembly has corresponding differenttechnical challenges associated therewith.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES

Accordingly, in order to improve the turning capability of a lawn carevehicle, some example embodiments may provide a steering system thatallows a camber angle of the rear wheels to be changed when the ridinglawn care vehicle turns. By employing a changing camber angle, thesteering functionality of steering assembly may be improved for atighter turn radius.

In one example embodiment, a riding lawn care vehicle is provided. Theriding lawn care vehicle may include a frame, a steering assembly, andan axle mount. Wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle may be attachableto the frame. The steering assembly may include a steering wheeloperably coupled to two rear wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle toprovide steering inputs to the rear wheels. The axle mount may be fixedrelative to the frame and disposed to extend substantially between therear wheels. The axle mount may include a first sleeve and a secondsleeve disposed at opposite distal ends of the axle mount. The first andsecond sleeves may receive respective portions of a first axle rod and asecond axle rod rotatably mounted therein. The first axle rod and thesecond axle rod may each include a top portion received in respectiveones of the first and second sleeves and a bottom portion bent withrespect to the top portion at an angle greater than ninety degrees. Thebottom portion may be received by respective ones of the rear wheels atan axis of rotation thereof. The first and second sleeves may bedisposed in a fixed position relative to the axle mount and anorientation of each of the first and second sleeves may be provided suchthat the bottom portion of each of the first and second axle rods issubstantially parallel to a driving surface on which the riding lawncare vehicle operates in response to the steering wheel being orientedin a neutral position and the bottom portion of each of the first andsecond axle rods is not parallel to the driving surface in response tothe steering wheel being rotated out of the neutral position.

In another example embodiment, a steering apparatus for steering controlof a riding lawn care vehicle is provided. The steering apparatus mayinclude a first axle rod, a second axle rod and an axle mount. The firstaxle rod may provide rotatable mounting for a first rear wheel amongwheels of the riding lawn care vehicle. The second axle rod may providerotatable mounting for a second rear wheel among the wheels. The axlemount may be fixed relative to a frame to which the rear wheels of theriding lawn care vehicle are attachable. The axle mount may be disposedto extend substantially between the rear wheels and include a firstsleeve and a second sleeve disposed at opposite distal ends of the axlemount. The first and second sleeves may receive respective portions ofthe first axle rod and the second axle rod. The first axle rod and thesecond axle rod may each include a top portion received in respectiveones of the first and second sleeves and a bottom portion bent withrespect to the top portion at an angle greater than ninety degrees. Thebottom portion may be received by respective ones of the wheels at anaxis of rotation thereof. The first and second sleeves are disposed in afixed position relative to the axle mount and an orientation of each ofthe first and second sleeves is provided such that the bottom portion ofeach of the first and second axle rods is substantially parallel to adriving surface on which the riding lawn care vehicle operates inresponse to a steering wheel of the riding lawn care vehicle beingoriented in a neutral position and the bottom portion of each of thefirst and second axle rods is not parallel to the driving surface inresponse to the steering wheel being rotated out of the neutralposition.

In another example embodiment, a method of providing steering for ariding lawn care vehicle is provided. The method may include providing asteering assembly including a steering wheel operably coupled to rearwheels of the riding lawn care vehicle via a cable system and disposingan axle mount fixed relative to the frame. The axle mount may bedisposed to extend substantially between the rear wheels and include afirst sleeve and a second sleeve disposed at opposite distal ends of theaxle mount. The first and second sleeves may receive respective portionsof a first axle rod and a second axle rod rotatably mounted therein. Thefirst axle rod and the second axle rod may each include a top portionreceived in respective ones of the first and second sleeves and a bottomportion bent with respect to the top portion at an angle greater thanninety degrees. The bottom portion may be received by respective ones ofthe wheels at an axis of rotation thereof. The first and second sleevesmay be disposed in a fixed position relative to the axle mount and anorientation of each of the first and second sleeves may be provided suchthat the bottom portion of each of the first and second axle rods issubstantially parallel to a driving surface on which the riding lawncare vehicle operates in response to the steering wheel being orientedin a neutral position and the bottom portion of each of the first andsecond axle rods is not parallel to the driving surface in response tothe steering wheel being rotated out of the neutral position.

Some example embodiments may improve space efficiency of a riding lawncare vehicle and allow manufacturers to more efficiently design andproduce such vehicles to have tight turning radii.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein:

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a riding lawn care vehicleaccording to an example embodiment;

FIG. 1B illustrates a top view of the riding lawn care vehicle accordingto an example embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates portions of a cutting deck of the riding lawn carevehicle according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a cutting unit liftingcontroller of the riding lawn care vehicle according to an exampleembodiment;

FIG. 4A illustrates a perspective view from the side of a cable systemof the riding lawn care vehicle according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 4B illustrates a perspective view from the back looking down ontothe cable system according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of portions of the cable systemfrom the side of the riding lawn care vehicle to show the cable systemwithin the context of other components according to an exampleembodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of portions of the cable systemlooking from the vehicle rear toward a steering column with selectedcomponents removed according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 7A illustrates a wheel in a positive camber angle state responsiveto a steering wheel being rotated out of a neutral position to provide asteering input to the right or left according to an example embodiment;and

FIG. 7B illustrates the wheel in a zero camber angle state responsive tothe steering wheel being at the twelve o′clock position according to anexample embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some example embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafterwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not allexample embodiments are shown. Indeed, the examples described andpictured herein should not be construed as being limiting as to thescope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather,these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure willsatisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer tolike elements throughout. Furthermore, as used herein, the term “or” isto be interpreted as a logical operator that results in true wheneverone or more of its operands are true. As used herein, operable couplingshould be understood to relate to direct or indirect connection that, ineither case, enables functional interconnection of components that areoperably coupled to each other.

Some example embodiments may improve the turning capability of a lawncare vehicle by employing rear wheel steering and providing a steeringsystem that allows a camber angle or the rear wheels to be inserted whenthe riding lawn care vehicle turns. By employing a camber angle tosteerable rear wheels, the steering functionality of a lawn care vehiclemay be improved for a tighter turn radius.

FIG. 1, which includes FIGS. 1A and 1B, illustrates a riding lawn carevehicle 10 having a rear wheel steering assembly according to an exampleembodiment. In this regard, FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view ofthe riding lawn care vehicle 10 according to an example embodiment, andFIG. 1B illustrates a top view of the riding lawn care vehicle 10according to an example embodiment. In some embodiments, the riding lawncare vehicle 10 may include seat 20 that may be disposed at a center,rear or front portion of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. The ridinglawn care vehicle 10 may also include a steering assembly 30 (e.g., asteering wheel, handle bars, or the like) functionally connected to rearwheels 32 of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 to allow the operator tosteer the riding lawn care vehicle 10. Since steering control isprovided to the rear wheels 32, the front wheels 34 may not receivesteering inputs in some embodiments. The operator may sit on the seat20, which may be disposed to the rear of the steering assembly 30 toprovide input for steering of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 via thesteering assembly 30.

In an example embodiment, the steering assembly 30 may include asteering wheel 36 and a steering column 37. The steering column 37 mayoperably connect to additional steering assembly components described ingreater detail below. Moreover, in some embodiments, the steering column37 may extend into a steering console 38, which may provide a cover toimprove the aesthetic appearance of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 byobscuring the view of various mechanical components associated with thesteering assembly 30. The riding lawn care vehicle 10 may also includeadditional control related components such as one or more speedcontrollers 40, cutting height adjuster 42 and/or cutting unit liftingcontroller 44. Some of the controllers, such as the speed controllers 40and the cutting unit lifting controller 44, may be provided in the formof foot pedals that may sit proximate to a footrest 46 (which mayinclude a portion on both sides of the riding lawn care vehicle 10(e.g., on opposite sides of the steering console 38) to enable theoperator to rest his or her feet thereon while seated in the seat 20.

The riding lawn care vehicle 10 may also include, or be configured tosupport attachment of, a cutting deck 50 having at least one cuttingblade mounted therein. FIG. 2 illustrates portions of the cutting deck50 according to an example embodiment. The cutting deck 50 may be aremovable attachment that may be positioned in front of the front wheels34 in a position to enable the operator to cut grass using the cuttingblade when the cutting blade is rotated below the cutting deck 50 andthe cutting deck 50 is in a cutting position. When operating to cutgrass, the grass clippings may be captured by a collection system,mulched, or expelled from the cutting deck 50 via either a sidedischarge or a rear discharge.

In an example embodiment, the cutting deck 50 may be elevated or liftedout of direct contact with the ground via the cutting unit liftingcontroller 44, a portion of which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3.In this regard, the cutting unit lifting controller 44 may be a footpedal that operates linkages to lift the cutting deck 50 upward. Liftingthe cutting deck 50 may enable the riding lawn care vehicle 10 totraverse certain rough terrain or obstacles (e.g., small rocks, curbs,or other features) or may otherwise be preferable for some operatorswhen in a transit mode, or when the riding lawn care vehicle 10 is notactively being used in a cutting operation. The height of the bladeswithin the cutting deck 50 may also be adjusted using the cutting heightadjuster 42. In this regard, the cutting height adjuster 42 may be alever that is operably connected to the blades via linkages (not shown)to adjust the height of the blades relative to the ground when thecutting deck 50 is lowered into a cutting position. In some embodiments,the cutting deck 50 itself may include wheels 52 to help ensure that thecutting deck 50 stays relatively level during operation to provide aneven cut.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the cutting unit liftingcontroller 44 according to an example embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3,the cutting unit lifting controller 44 may be provided as a pedal. Ofnote, although FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate the cutting unit liftingcontroller 44 being on the left side of the steering console 38, itcould alternatively be on the right side or even at some other locationin other example embodiments. In some embodiments, the steering console38 may also improve the aesthetic appearance of the riding lawn carevehicle 10 by obscuring the view of various mechanical componentsassociated with the operation of the cutting unit lifting controller 44for lifting and/or holding the cutting deck 50. In an exampleembodiment, when the cutting unit lifting controller 44 is depressed orpushed down (e.g., toward the footrest 46), the cutting deck 50 may beelevated (e.g., such that the wheels 52 are lifted off the ground). Insome cases, the cutting deck 50 may remain elevated for the duration ofany period during which the cutting unit lifting controller 44 isdepressed. However, in other examples, a lifting lock 54 may be providedto enable locking the cutting unit lifting controller 44 in a lockedposition. The lifting lock 54 may be positioned on the steering console38 in some embodiments. However, other locations may be utilized inalternate embodiments.

In embodiments in which the cutting deck 50 is removable, the cuttingdeck 50 may include blade drive components (e.g., belts, pulleys orother components, some of which are visible in FIG. 2) of the cuttingdeck 50 that may facilitate cutting using the cutting deck 50 duringoperation. The cutting deck 50 may also include a cutting deck mountingassembly 58 configured to mate with the riding lawn care vehicle 10 tojoin the cutting deck 50 to the riding lawn care vehicle 10. Of note,FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B illustrate the riding lawn care vehicle 10 with thecutting deck 50 removed. However, it should be appreciated that thecutting deck 50 may be attached as described above, and then lifted insome cases, as described herein.

In the pictured example embodiment of FIG. 1, an engine 60 of the ridinglawn care vehicle 10 is disposed substantially below a seated operator.However, in other example embodiments, the engine 60 could be indifferent positions such as in front of or behind the operator. In someembodiments, the engine 60 may be operably coupled to one or more of thewheels of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 in order to provide drivepower for the riding lawn care vehicle 10. In some embodiments, theengine 60 may be capable of powering two wheels, while in others, theengine 60 may power all four wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle 10.Moreover, in some cases, the engine 60 may manually or automaticallyshift between powering either two wheels or all four wheels of theriding lawn care vehicle 10. The engine 60, the steering assembly 30,the cutting deck 50, the seat 20 and other components of the riding lawncare vehicle 10 may be operably connected (directly or indirectly) to aframe 70 of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. The frame 70 may be a rigidstructure configured to provide support, connectivity andinteroperability functions for various ones of the components of theriding lawn care vehicle 10. In some embodiments, the frame 70 may besplit or articulated such that, for example, the front wheels 34 aredisposed on an opposite portion of the frame 70 than the portion of theframe on which the back wheels 32 are disposed with respect to anarticulated joint in the frame 70.

In some example embodiments, the steering assembly 30 may be embodied asan assembly of metallic or other rigid components that may be welded,fitted, bolted or otherwise operably coupled to each other and coupledto the wheels (rear wheels 32 in this example) of the riding lawn carevehicle 10 to which steering inputs are provided. For example, thesteering assembly 30 may include or otherwise be coupled with a steeringcable assembly to translate rotational motion applied to the steeringassembly 30 (and more particularly to the steering wheel 36) intodirectional inputs to orient the wheels accordingly. Other steeringcontrol systems may be employed in some alternative embodiments.

FIGS. 4-6 illustrate more detailed views of some portions of thesteering assembly 30 to illustrate an example embodiment. In thisregard, FIG. 4, which includes FIGS. 4A and 4B, illustrates isolatedperspective views of the steering assembly 30 according to an exampleembodiment. Other components have been removed from the views in FIG. 4in order to facilitate a clear and concise description of the cablesystem 100 of an example embodiment. FIG. 4A illustrates a perspectiveview from the side of the cable system 100 and FIG. 4B illustrates aperspective view from the back looking down onto the cable system 100.FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of portions of the cable system100 from the side of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 to show the cablesystem 100 within the context of other components according to anexample embodiment. In this regard, the view shown in FIG. 5 is a sideview with selected components removed. Meanwhile, FIG. 6 illustrates aperspective view of portions of the cable system 100 looking from thevehicle rear toward the steering column 37 with selected componentsremoved.

Referring now to FIGS. 4-6, cable system 100 may include a cable 110that may wrap at least partially around a steering column pulley 120attached to a distal end of the steering column 37. The steering columnpulley 120 may frictionally engage the cable 110 such that when thesteering column pulley 120 is rotated (e.g., responsive to rotation ofthe steering wheel 36), the cable 110 is pulled through the steeringcolumn pulley 120 in the same direction as the direction of rotation ofthe steering wheel 36. Although FIG. 4 illustrates an example in whichthe turn ratio for the steering wheel 36 and the steering column pulley120 is 1:1, other embodiments may employ gears and/or the like to adjustthe turn ratio, if desired.

In an example embodiment, a substantially equal amount of the cable 110may be disposed on each side of the steering column pulley 120 when thesteering wheel 37 is in a neutral or twelve o′clock position. Forpurposes of explanation, a portion of the cable 110 that is pulled whenthe steering wheel is turned clockwise may be referred to as a firstcable portion 122 and a portion of the cable 110 that is pulled when thesteering wheel 36 is turned counterclockwise may be referred to as asecond cable portion 124. The first and second cable portions 122 and124 may be portions of the same unitary cable in some cases. However, inother cases, the first and second cable portions 122 and 124 may bedistinct portions that may be joined together or have the ends thereoffixed to the steering column pulley 120 proximate to each other. Distalends of the first cable portion 122 and second cable portion 124 mayterminate at respective cable connectors (e.g., first cable connector126 and second cable connector 128). The first and second cableconnectors 126 and 128 may then engage a steering disc 130 (see FIG. 5),which may be located substantially between the rear wheels 32.

In an example embodiment, the first cable portion 122 and the secondcable portion 124 may each be run from the steering column pulley 120(which may be located proximate to a front end of the riding lawn carevehicle 10) back to the steering disc 130 along one side of the ridinglawn care vehicle 10 using a single cable-conveying pulley assembly 131disposed along the corresponding one side of the riding lawn carevehicle 10. Although FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the first and second cableportions 122 and 124 running down the right side of the riding lawn carevehicle 10, and the pulley assembly 131 therefore also being disposed onthe right side of the riding lawn care vehicle 10, alternativeembodiments may run the first and second cable portions 122 and 124 downthe left side of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 (or the middle portionthereof). In an example embodiment, to facilitate running both the firstand second cable portions 122 and 124, the pulley assembly 131 mayinclude a front double pulley 132 and a back double pulley 134 that areeach disposed along a same side of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 tohandle the cable system 100 and convey portions thereof rearward forcommunication with the steering disc 130.

In some embodiments each of the front double pulley 132 and the backdouble pulley 134 may include two wheels mounted to the same shaft (ordifferent shafts that are aligned with each other). As such, the wheelsof each double pulley may be enabled to move independently of eachother, and therefore in opposite directions to support the pull actionon one cable portion (e.g., the first cable portion 122) and acorresponding push action on the other cable portion (e.g., the secondcable portion 124). As shown in FIGS. 4-6, the front double pulley 132may consolidate handling both the first cable portion 122 and the secondcable portion 124 for passage rearward to the back double pulley 134using one pulley. The back double pulley 134 may also consolidatehandling of the first and second cable portions 122 and 124 at a singlecomponent, but may further provide a fixed point from which the firstcable portion 122 and the second cable portion 124 may diverge to engageopposite sides of the steering disc 130. Accordingly, both cables thatprovide inputs for pulling or otherwise changing the orientation of thesteering disc 130 may be communicated back toward a rear of the ridinglawn care vehicle 10 from the steering wheel 36 using the pulleyassembly 131 disposed along one side of the riding lawn care vehicle 10.As shown in FIG. 4, an axis of the front double pulley 132 may beoriented differently than an axis of the back double pulley 134 and anaxis of the steering column pulley 120. In an example embodiment, theorientations of each of the pulleys may be selected to enable the firstand second cable portions 122 and 124 to be conveyed back from thesteering column pulley 120 to the steering disc 130 without the firstand second cable portions coming into contact with each other eventhough their positions relative to each other swap (i.e., the cablescross) as they are conveyed back to the steering disc 130.

The steering disc 130 may have a fixed axis of rotation, but may beallowed to rotate responsive to the cable 110 being pulled in eitherdirection based on rotation of the steering wheel 36 via communicationof a corresponding pull action via the pulley assembly 131. In anexample embodiment, a size of the steering disc 130 may be selectedbased on the size of the steering column pulley 120 such that a certainamount of rotation of the steering column pulley 120 causes acorresponding known amount of rotation of the steering disc 130, whenthe first and second cable portions 122 and 124 move, based on the ratioof sizes of the steering column pulley 120 and the steering disc 130.The steering disc 130 may be connected to a first steering knuckle 140and a second steering knuckle 142 via a first tie rod 144 and a secondtie rod 146, respectively. The first and second steering knuckles 140and 142 may each be affixed to corresponding ones of a first axle rod150 and a second axle rod 152. The first and second axle rods 150 and152 may be rotatably mounted to opposite ends of an axle mount 160 thatmay form a portion of the frame 70, or may be connected to the frame 70.The axle mount 160 may extend substantially perpendicularly to thelongitudinal length of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 substantiallybetween the rear wheels 32. The rear wheels 32 may be affixed to thefirst and second axle rods 150 and 152, respectively.

In some examples, the axle mount 160 may be structured as a singleassembly, weldment, rod, tube or other support structure having a firstdistal end that rotatably engages the first axle rod 150 and a seconddistal end that rotatably engages the second axle rod 152. In someembodiments, the first and second distal ends of the axle mount 160 mayterminate in respective first and second sleeves 162 and 164. The firstand second sleeves 162 and 164 may receive the first and second axlerods 150 and 152, respectively, therein. In some embodiments, the firstand second sleeves 162 and 164 may further include bearings (e.g., abushing, ball bearing or journal bearing) to facilitate rotationalrelative motion between the first and second sleeves 162 and 164 and thefirst and second axle rods 150 and 152, respectively.

In an example embodiment, first and second steering knuckles 140 and 142may be relatively mirror image reproductions of each other oriented tooperate on opposite sides of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. Similarly,the first and second axle rods 150 and 152 may be relatively mirrorimage reproductions of each other oriented to operate on opposite sidesof the riding lawn care vehicle 10. Accordingly, for purposes ofexplanation, the first steering knuckle 140 and the first axle rod 150will be described in greater detail below, but it should be appreciatedthat the second steering knuckle 142 and the second axle rod 150 arestructured and function similarly (albeit for an opposite side of theriding lawn care vehicle 10).

The first steering knuckle 140 may be affixed to the first axle rod 150proximate to a bottom portion of the first sleeve 162. The firststeering knuckle 140 may, in some cases, be a bracket formed from sheetmetal or another rigid material and may extend around all sides of thefirst axle rod 150. As such, a substantial portion of the first steeringknuckle 140 may lie in a single plane, which may be perpendicular to thelongitudinal length of the first sleeve 162. In some embodiments, thefirst steering knuckle 140 may include a receiving opening at a portionthereof to receive a rotatable pin that may connect the first tie rod144 to the first steering knuckle 140 in a rotatable manner. Thereceiving opening may be positioned at a protruded portion of the firststeering knuckle 140 which may be oriented substantially toward eitherthe front or the back of the riding lawn care vehicle 10. By orientingthe receiving opening accordingly, when the first tie rod 144 pushes orpulls responsive to rotation of the steering disc 130, a force may beexerted through the rotatable pin onto the first steering knuckle 140.The first axle rod 150 may then be caused to rotate within the firstsleeve 162 based on the direction of the force imparted by the first tierod 144.

During a turn, dependent upon which way the steering disc 130 turns, oneof the first or second tie rods 144 or 146 may be pushed and the otherof the first or second tie rods 144 or 146 may be pulled responsive torotation of the steering disc 130. The steering disc 130 may be disposedsubstantially along a longitudinal centerline of the riding lawn carevehicle 10. In an example embodiment, the first and second tie rods 144and 146 may each be connected to the steering disc 130 relativelyproximate to each other. For example, if an after portion of thesteering disc 130 that is oriented in line with the centerline of theriding lawn care vehicle 10 is considered to be the twelve o′clockposition, the first and second tie rods 144 and 146 may connect to thesteering disc 130 proximate to the twelve o′clock position (e.g., at theeleven o′clock and one o′clock positions, respectively). The first andsecond tie rods 144 and 146 may then extend away from the steering disc130 in relatively opposite directions to engage the first and secondsteering knuckles 140 and 142, respectively.

Since the first and second steering knuckles 140 and 142 are affixed tothe first and second axle rods 150 and 152, and the first and secondaxle rods 150 and 152 are rotatably mounted to the axle mount 160,movement of the first and second steering knuckles 140 and 142responsive to rotation of the steering disc 130 causes a correspondingrotation (in the same direction) of the first and second axle rods 150and 152. In other words, for example, when the steering wheel 36 isturned in the clockwise direction, the first cable portion 122 may bepulled toward the steering column pulley 120 and the first cableconnector 126 may also be pulled and thereby initiate rotation of thesteering disc 130. In this example, when the steering wheel 36 is turnedclockwise (presumably to initiate a turn to the right), the rear wheels32 would need to be caused to turn to be oriented to the left since rearwheel steering is employed. Accordingly, when the first cable connector126 pulls on the steering disc 130, the steering disc 130 may rotate ina counter-clockwise direction. Such rotation of the steering disc 130may cause the first tie rod 144 to push on the first steering knuckle140 to impart a force on the first steering knuckle 140 to initiate acounter-clockwise rotation of the first axle rod 150 within the firstsleeve 162. The counter-clockwise rotation of the first axle rod 150 maycorrespondingly turn the back right wheel of the riding lawn carevehicle 10 inward (or toward the left). Similarly, rotation of thesteering disc 130 in the counter-clockwise direction may also cause thesecond tie rod 146 to push on the second steering knuckle 142 to imparta force on the second steering knuckle 142 to initiate acounter-clockwise rotation of the second axle rod 152 within the secondsleeve 164. The counter-clockwise rotation of the second axle rod 152may correspondingly turn the back left wheel of the riding lawn carevehicle 10 outward (or toward the left).

In an example embodiment, the first and second axle rods 150 and 152 maybe further provided to initiate changes to the camber angle of the rearwheels 32 responsive to steering inputs to the right or left. In thisregard, for example, the first and second axle rods 150 and 152 may beconstructed to have at least two linear portions that are connected toeach other by a bent portion 180. The two linear portions may include aspindle or top portion 182 that is inserted into one of the sleeves(e.g., the first sleeve 162 or the second sleeve 164) for rotatableconnection therewith, and an axle or bottom portion 184 to which one ofthe rear wheels 32 is rotatably attached. In an example embodiment, thebent portion 180 may be formed such that the top portion 182 may form anobtuse angle with respect to the bottom portion 184. Moreover, in someembodiments, an angle formed between a longitudinal length of thesleeves and the longitudinal length of the axle mount 160 may be setsuch that, when the rear wheels 32 are straightened (e.g., due to thesteering wheel 36 being oriented at the twelve o'clock position), alongitudinal length of the bottom portion 184 is substantially parallelto the driving surface or ground and the camber angle of thecorresponding wheel is substantially zero. However, as a steering inputis inserted by rotation of the steering wheel 36, the top portion 182may rotate within the corresponding one of the sleeves (e.g., the firstsleeve 162 or the second sleeve 164) and the camber angle may beadjusted to a non-zero value.

FIG. 7, which includes FIGS. 7A and 7B, illustrates a wheel 190 (e.g.,the right rear wheel) in both a zero camber angle state (e.g., when thesteering wheel 36 is at the twelve o′clock position as shown in FIG. 7B)and a positive camber angle state (e.g., when the steering wheel 36 isrotated to provide a steering input to the right or left as shown inFIG. 7A). The camber angle is generally considered to be the angle madebetween the wheels and riding lawn care vehicle 10, or morespecifically, the angle between the vertical axis of the wheels and thevertical axis of the riding lawn care vehicle 10 when viewed from thefront or rear. In the example of FIG. 7, the top 192 of the wheel 190 isfarther out than the bottom 194 of the wheel 190 to define a positivecamber.

By angling the wheel when a turn is initiated, the turn radius of thecorresponding wheel may be decreased. Thus, modification of the camberangle when steering inputs are received may increase the responsivenessof the riding lawn care vehicle 10 to steering inputs and, inparticular, may decrease the turn radius of the riding lawn care vehicle10. In an example embodiment, a wheel centerline 200 may be definedrelative to the radial dimensions of the wheel through a center of thetread portion of the wheel 190. As such, the wheel centerline 200 maybisect the axis of rotation of the wheel 190. When the steering wheel 36is in a neutral position (e.g., without any right or left steering inputbeing inserted via rotation of the steering wheel 36 out of the twelveo′clock position), the wheel center line 200 may be substantiallyperpendicular to the driving surface or ground. Meanwhile, a spindlecenterline 210 corresponding to a line drawn through the longitudinalcenter of the top portion 182 may extend toward the wheel centerline 200to intersect the wheel centerline 200 at a position below the wheel 190.In some cases, it may be desirable for the wheel centerline 200 and thespindle centerline 210 to intersect below the wheel 190, but proximateto the surface of the wheel 190. Accordingly, the width of the wheel 190may dictate the angle between the top portion 182 and the bottom portion184. In this regard, in order to make the wheel centerline 200 and thespindle centerline 210 intersect proximate to the area below the wheel190, as the width of the wheel increases, the angle between the wheelcenterline 200 and the spindle centerline 210 also increases. Thus, whena wider wheel is used, the bent portion 180 may be made such that theangle between the top portion 182 and the bottom portion 184 increasesin order to provide desirable camber angle changes when non-neutralsteering inputs are provided.

In an example embodiment, when viewed from the side of the riding lawncare vehicle 10, the spindle centerline 210 may be substantiallyperpendicular to the driving surface or ground. Moreover, since the topportion 182 rotates within the sleeve, which is fixed relative to theframe 70 by attachment to the axle mount 160, the top portion 182 ismaintained such that the spindle centerline 210 is perpendicular to thedriving surface or ground when viewed from the side even when the topportion 182 is rotated. However, given that the top portion 182 rotatesresponsive to steering inputs to insert a camber angle when the steeringwheel 36 is rotated out of the neutral position, it should beappreciated that the camber angle may increase as the amount ofdeflection from the neutral position increases. Thus, for example, as afull right turn input is relaxed by rotating the steering wheel 36counter-clockwise back toward the neutral position, the camber angle maydecrease until the neutral position is reached. When the neutralposition is reached, the camber angle may be zero. If the steering wheel36 is further rotated counter-clockwise to a full left turn, the camberangle will increase from zero at the neutral position to some maximumvalue at the full left turn position.

An example embodiment, such as is shown in FIGS. 4-6, may provide forconveying steering inputs from a steering wheel or other steering inputdevice to rear wheels using a cable system that runs cable down only oneside of the riding lawn care vehicle. By running cable only down oneside of the riding lawn care vehicle, the engine (e.g., engine 60) maybe disposed between the front and back wheels (see FIG. 1). In someembodiments, the engine 60 may be more specifically disposed under theseat 20 and between the steering column 37 and the steering disc 130.The cables may extend around one side of the engine 60 in thisconfiguration. A battery for powering some components of the riding lawncare vehicle 10 may also be provided. In some embodiments, the batterymay be provided between the rear wheels 32 (e.g., over the axle mount160). Such configuration may, in some cases, provide weight over therear wheels 32 to facilitate steering functionality given that theengine 60 and the weight associated therewith may be moved forward ofthe rear wheels 32.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forthherein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which theseinventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in theforegoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is tobe understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specificembodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments areintended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associateddrawings describe exemplary embodiments in the context of certainexemplary combinations of elements and/or functions, it should beappreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions maybe provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scopeof the appended claims. In this regard, for example, differentcombinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitlydescribed above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of theappended claims. In cases where advantages, benefits or solutions toproblems are described herein, it should be appreciated that suchadvantages, benefits and/or solutions may be applicable to some exampleembodiments, but not necessarily all example embodiments. Thus, anyadvantages, benefits or solutions described herein should not be thoughtof as being critical, required or essential to all embodiments or tothat which is claimed herein. Although specific terms are employedherein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and notfor purposes of limitation.

1. A riding lawn care vehicle comprising: a frame to which wheels of theriding lawn care vehicle are attachable; a steering assembly including asteering wheel operably coupled to two rear wheels of the riding lawncare vehicle to provide steering inputs to the rear wheels; and an axlemount fixed relative to the frame, the axle mount disposed to extendsubstantially between the rear wheels, the axle mount including a firstsleeve and a second sleeve disposed at opposite distal ends of the axlemount, the first and second sleeves receiving respective portions of afirst axle rod and a second axle rod rotatably mounted therein, whereinthe first axle rod and the second axle rod each include a top portionreceived in respective ones of the first and second sleeves and a bottomportion bent with respect to the top portion at an angle greater thanninety degrees, the bottom portion being received by respective ones ofthe rear wheels at an axis of rotation thereof, and wherein the firstand second sleeves are disposed in a fixed position relative to the axlemount and an orientation of each of the first and second sleeves isprovided such that the bottom portion of each of the first and secondaxle rods is substantially parallel to a driving surface on which theriding lawn care vehicle operates in response to the steering wheelbeing oriented in a neutral position and the bottom portion of each ofthe first and second axle rods is not parallel to the driving surface inresponse to the steering wheel being rotated out of the neutralposition.
 2. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rearwheels are tilted to a camber angle responsive to rotation of thesteering wheel out of the neutral position.
 3. The riding lawn carevehicle of claim 2, wherein the camber angle is a positive camber angle.4. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 2, wherein the camber angleincreases as an amount of steering input away from the neutral positionincreases.
 5. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 1, wherein the firstand second axle rods rotate in the first and second sleeves,respectively, responsive to input from the steering wheel that istranslated to the first and second axle rods via a cable system.
 6. Theriding lawn care vehicle of claim 5, wherein the cable system includes apulley assembly in which each pulley of the pulley assembly handlescables running to and from a steering disc rotatably disposedsubstantially between the rear wheels and proximate to the axle mount,wherein a the first tie rod operably couples the steering disc to afirst one of the rear wheels and a second tie rod operably couples thesteering disc to a second one of the rear wheels, and wherein thesteering disc translates motion of the steering wheel to the rear wheelsvia the first and second tie rods based on movement the cable systeminduced by rotation of the steering wheel.
 7. The riding lawn carevehicle of claim 6, further comprising a first steering knuckle disposedon the first axle rod and connected to the first tie rod to causerotation of the first axle rod within the first sleeve responsive tomovement of the first tie rod when the steering disc rotates, and asecond steering knuckle disposed on the second axle rod and connected tothe second tie rod to cause rotation of the second axle rod within thesecond sleeve responsive to movement of the second tie rod when thesteering disc rotates.
 8. The riding lawn care vehicle of claim 7,wherein the first and second tie rods are coupled to the steering discat a location proximate to each other.
 9. The riding lawn care vehicleof claim 1, wherein the angle is selected such that a wheel centerlinebisecting an axis of rotation of a rear wheel and a spindle centerlinecorresponding to a line drawn through a longitudinal center of the topportion of the rear wheel intersect at a position below a surface of therear wheel in contact with the driving surface.
 10. A steering apparatusfor steering control of a riding lawn care vehicle, the steeringapparatus comprising: a first axle rod providing rotatable mounting fora first rear wheel of the riding lawn care vehicle; a second axle rodproviding rotatable mounting for a second rear wheel; and an axle mountfixed relative to a frame to which the first and second rear wheels ofthe riding lawn care vehicle are attachable, the axle mount disposed toextend substantially between the first and second rear wheels, the axlemount including a first sleeve and a second sleeve disposed at oppositedistal ends of the axle mount, the first and second sleeves receivingrespective portions of the first axle rod and the second axle rod;wherein the first axle rod and the second axle rod each include a topportion received in respective ones of the first and second sleeves anda bottom portion bent with respect to the top portion at an anglegreater than ninety degrees, the bottom portion being received byrespective ones of the first and second rear wheels at an axis ofrotation thereof, and wherein the first and second sleeves are disposedin a fixed position relative to the axle mount and an orientation ofeach of the first and second sleeves is provided such that the bottomportion of each of the first and second axle rods is substantiallyparallel to a driving surface on which the riding lawn care vehicleoperates in response to a steering wheel of the riding lawn care vehiclebeing oriented in a neutral position and the bottom portion of each ofthe first and second axle rods is not parallel to the driving surface inresponse to the steering wheel being rotated out of the neutralposition.
 11. The steering apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first andsecond rear wheels are tilted to a camber angle responsive to rotationof the steering wheel out of the neutral position.
 12. The steeringapparatus of claim 11, wherein the camber angle is a positive camberangle.
 13. The steering apparatus of claim 11, wherein the camber angleincreases as an amount of steering input away from the neutral positionincreases.
 14. The steering apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first andsecond axle rods rotate in the first and second sleeves, respectively,responsive to input from the steering wheel that is translated to thefirst and second axle rods via a cable system.
 15. The steeringapparatus of claim 14, wherein the cable system includes a pulleyassembly in which each pulley of the pulley assembly handles cablesrunning to and from a steering disc rotatably disposed substantiallybetween the rear wheels and proximate to the axle mount, wherein a thefirst tie rod operably couples the steering disc to a first one of therear wheels and a second tie rod operably couples the steering disc to asecond one of the rear wheels, and wherein the steering disc translatesmotion of the steering wheel to the rear wheels via the first and secondtie rods based on movement the cable system induced by rotation of thesteering wheel.
 16. The steering apparatus of claim 15, furthercomprising a first steering knuckle disposed on the first axle rod andconnected to the first tie rod to cause rotation of the first axle rodwithin the first sleeve responsive to movement of the first tie rod whenthe steering disc rotates, and a second steering knuckle disposed on thesecond axle rod and connected to the second tie rod to cause rotation ofthe second axle rod within the second sleeve responsive to movement ofthe second tie rod when the steering disc rotates.
 17. The steeringapparatus of claim 16, wherein the first and second tie rods are coupledto the steering disc at a location proximate to each other.
 18. Thesteering apparatus of claim 10, wherein the angle is selected such thata wheel centerline bisecting an axis of rotation of a rear wheel and aspindle centerline corresponding to a line drawn through a longitudinalcenter of the top portion of the rear wheel intersect at a positionbelow a surface of the rear wheel in contact with the driving surface.19. A method of providing steering for a riding lawn care vehiclecomprising: providing a steering assembly including a steering wheeloperably coupled to rear wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle; anddisposing an axle mount fixed relative to a frame of the riding lawncare vehicle, the axle mount disposed to extend substantially betweenthe rear wheels, the axle mount including a first sleeve and a secondsleeve disposed at opposite distal ends of the axle mount, the first andsecond sleeves receiving respective portions of a first axle rod and asecond axle rod rotatably mounted therein, wherein the first axle rodand the second axle rod each include a top portion received inrespective ones of the first and second sleeves and a bottom portionbent with respect to the top portion at an angle greater than ninetydegrees, the bottom portion being received by respective ones of therear wheels at an axis of rotation thereof, and wherein the first andsecond sleeves are disposed in a fixed position relative to the axlemount and an orientation of each of the first and second sleeves isprovided such that the bottom portion of each of the first and secondaxle rods is substantially parallel to a driving surface on which theriding lawn care vehicle operates in response to the steering wheelbeing oriented in a neutral position and the bottom portion of each ofthe first and second axle rods is not parallel to the driving surface inresponse to the steering wheel being rotated out of the neutralposition.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the rear wheels are tiltedto a camber angle responsive to rotation of the steering wheel out ofthe neutral position.
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the camberangle is a positive camber angle.
 22. The method of claim 20, whereinthe camber angle increases as an amount of steering input away from theneutral position increases.
 23. The method of claim 19, furthercomprising providing a cable system, wherein the first and second axlerods rotate in the first and second sleeves, respectively, responsive toinput from the steering wheel that is translated to the first and secondaxle rods via the cable system.